I’ve been loving Vancouver – the weather is amazing in the summer and it’s just so beautiful seeing the mountains in the distance with the water in the foreground.

Plus the food here is amazing! You’re probably wondering if sushi is paleo….so I’ll answer that question in this post as well!

Is Sushi Paleo?

Rice is a grain and so it’s generally considered not paleo. However, white rice is pretty non-toxic – it’s pretty much just pure starch, so it’s not great if you have blood sugar issues or are looking to lose weight, but otherwise, it’s ok to eat. In fact, Paul Jaminet wrote in The Perfect Health Diet that “Do eat: About one pound per day – roughly, four fist-sized servings – of “safe starches”: white rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro …” And this is what he wrote about sushi rice: “Acids, such as vinegar, reduce the glycemic index. The amount of vinegar in sushi rice is sufficient to dramatically reduce its glycemic index.”

Sushi in Vancouver

There are a ton of sushi restaurants in Vancouver, but I really loved Alpha Sushi Bar for 2 reasons: 1) great sushi and sashimi at a very affordable price and 2) gluten free tamari sauce. I often take my own tamari sauce with me to sushi restaurants, but it’s great when the restaurant provides it so I don’t need to!

I love ordering the salmon (or tuna) sashimi or the seared salmon sashimi, but the rolls are delicious too. I often order the vegetable roll on the Alpha Sushi Bar menu because it doesn’t have any mayo on it (most mayos are made from seed oils). The menu for Alpha Sushi Bar is here.

This is the Vegetable Roll with mango, avocado, carrots, cucumber, and lettuce.

I’m a big fan of Shabu Shabu – it’s basically boiling thin slices of meat in a pot of broth and then eating it with a sauce (often made from soy sauce, garlic, peppers). There are variations on shabu shabu as well – in Chinese cuisine, this is often called hot pot. And in French cuisine, fondue is a version of this.

A ton of restaurants serve this type of cuisine, and they’re pretty paleo! I often go to shabu shabu and ask for no broth (because I can’t be sure what they put into the broth most times) with thin slices of beef, lamb, and vegetables. If you’re worried about soy sauce, then take your own gluten free tamari sauce to the restaurant (that’s what I do!).

So, this recipe is all about making a super quick shabu shabu beef dinner at home. Because the meat is thinly sliced, it cooks really fast!

You can purchase thinly sliced shabu shabu beef in various Asian supermarkets (they can be fresh or frozen). You can also cut your own – just buy boneless shortrib or a roast, then freeze the meat for a few hours so it’s solid but not rock solid, and use a really sharp chef’s knife to carefully shave slices off.

Then just drop the beef slices and any sliced vegetables you want into boiling broth (I used bone broth, but you can use chicken broth or even just plain water). The beef cooks super fast so dinner will be done in just a few minutes!

I love visiting Asian supermarkets, because you get to see so many great fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafoods!

In Vancouver, there’s a ton of Asian supermarkets and a ton of seafood, so sashimi seemed like a great option to pick up at my local H-Mart. Since you don’t have to cook anything, this paleo sashimi salad with kale and mangos is super fast to make. It’s fantastic as an appetizer or a quick lunch.

It’s so easy to start the morning with one of these, and I’ve been adding some potato starch into it to test out the resistant starch ideas that have been spreading recently (read this article to find out more).

There’s fresh seafood everywhere in Vancouver, and in particular, there are fresh oysters everywhere! Lots of place have $1 oysters (especially for happy hour), and The Fish Shack in Yaletown is one of those places.

It’s a casual restaurant/pub and bar with lots of fresh seafood. We went there for some $1 oysters with fresh lemons and wine as well as some delicious mussels and clams.

What is it?

This is a raw (& organic) coconut water drink i.e., it has been heated (although what I couldn’t find exactly what temperature they keep their process under).

Coconut water is the liquid in the center a coconut (it’s mostly water with a little bit of sugar and minerals from the coconut). So, if you cracked a coconut in half, it’s the water-like liquid that would splash out.

Note that coconut water is different to coconut milk, which comes from the meat of the coconut and is high in fat.

Is raw better?

I’m not huge into raw foods – yes, it’s often more nutritious because cooking does destroy some of the vitamins and minerals as well as the antioxidants, but cooking also helps us absorb more of the nutrients. But, I love trying random new foods, so I picked one of these drinks up in Whole Foods despite its rather hefty price tag.

And boy was I glad, because this Harmless Harvest Raw Coconut Water tasted AMAZING!

How is Harmless Harvest Coconut Water different to other coconut waters?

Regardless of whether you’re into raw foods or not, this drink just tastes better than other coconut waters.

I drank a ton of coconut water straight from the coconut when I lived on the tropical island of Hainan (it was about $1 for a fresh coconut!), and this tastes really close to that fresh unadulterated taste. It just tastes clean, refreshing, clear, and pure. Definitely the best coconut water I’ve had from a bottle!

And in case you’re wondering if someone paid me to write this post, no one did! I just happen to like this coconut water that much, and I wanted you to share it with you!

Why are some of them pink??

I was really freaked out the first time I picked a pink one (the coconut water was really pink!). But rest assured, if yours is pink, it hasn’t gone bad or been tampered with. Harmless Harvest’s website states that: “some bottles turn pink with time due to varying levels of antioxidants, or phenols, interacting with light.”

Where can you buy it?

I’ve seen it sold in the US in Whole Foods, some delis, and restaurants like Hu Kitchen. I’ve also heard that some Costcos sell them.

If you don’t have access to Whole Foods or Costco, then you can buy them on Amazon here (it costs more because they have to ship it with cold packs).

How much is it?

In Whole Foods in New York City, a 500ml (approx. 16 oz) bottle costs $4.99. The 250ml (8 oz) costs a bit less. Other brands of non-raw coconut water typically costs $1.99-2.99 for a 500ml bottle, so there is definitely a premium to be paid here.

Is coconut water Paleo?

The short answer is: sort of, as long as you’re not drinking a ton (since there’s a fair amount of sugar in coconut water). Here’s what Mark and Chris think about coconut water:

Mark Sisson says: “Primal, but kinda sugary, so go easy on it unless you’re in Thailand sipping on fresh young coconuts (because there’s nothing quite like cold coconut water straight from the coconut), nursing a hangover, or training hard and need the hydration.”

Chris Kresser says: “Coconut water has a good mix of electrolytes and simple sugars to aid in sports performance, though extra salt may need to be added to some brands that are lower in sodium to optimize rehydration.”

What do you think of Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water?

What are your thoughts on this Paleo drink? Let me know in the comments below.

Paleo Friendly Restaurants in NYC – Hu Kitchen

While there are many Paleo friendly restaurants in NYC, there aren’t many places where you can just order pretty much blindly anything off the menu and still be overjoyed at eating delicious and Paleo food! Hu Kitchen, on 5th Avenue, is the only place in NYC where the entire menu is pretty much Paleo (from the cooking oils to the no-grains)!

I know the name sounds like some random Chinese restaurant, but the Hu actually stands for Human, and they don’t serve any Chinese food!

Located on the iconic 5th Avenue near Union Square (it’s between 13th and 14th streets), Hu Kitchen always seems to be under a scaffold! Luckily it’s pretty easy to find still as they have a big “Food For Humans” sign up on the scaffold (as you can see from the photo above) and funny chalk boards outside (as you can see from the photo below):

The Food at Hu Kitchen

As you can imagine, the food here is AMAZING (the Hu Kitchen menu is here)! There’s a large cold bar with tuna salads, chicken salads, grass fed beef meatballs, wild caught fish made into sticks, kale salads, apple and fennel salads, and more. The selection is daunting, and be prepared to salivate as you gaze and decide.

What really impresses me is that everything is made with Paleo oils (they even make their own mayo!), so no canola oils and no sunflower oils or any other seed oils!

I went for a grass fed beef meatball topped with their own (no high fructose corn syrup) bbq sauce, some organic Thai chicken salad (which I loved), a wild fish stick made with wild hake, and some fennel and apple salad (pictured above).

There’s also a great hot food section offering foods like the wild meatloaf (made with boar, elk, and Berkshire pork) with roasted sweet potatoes that’s pictured above (that’s what Jeremy ordered). Their hot bar also has vegetarian grain-free and dairy-free lasagna as well as organic rotisserie chicken. Additionally, there’s a hot bowl option where you can get veggies topped with beef, chicken, or wild mushrooms.

Desserts at Hu Kitchen

Perhaps what makes Hu Kitchen sweeter is their large selection of Paleo desserts. For $3-4, you can satisfy any sweet cravings with one of their amazing desserts to go! They even make their own chocolate bars (with no soy lecithin).

Pictured above is their crack bar, and their apple “cheesecake” is amazing (just a blend of apples and eggs with a nut crust).

I highly recommend a visit to Hu Kitchen if you’re in NYC – it’s amazing to be able to get such great food without having to worry about anything! I visited Hu Kitchen many times when I lived in NYC even though it was really far from where I lived – it was always well worth the trip.

(Note that Hu Kitchen does have quinoa in a few dishes and that they sell a few snack products with grains as well as oatmeal, but there are so many Paleo options that I’ve never even noticed where the options with grains are.)

Jeremy ordered the Bangers & Mash – Toulouse sausages made by local Italian family Moccia Urbani, mashed potato, onion gravy. The chef couldn’t confirm that the sausages didn’t have gluten, so don’t get this dish if you’re celiac.

I’ve been enjoying living in Vancouver for the past 2 weeks, and in particular, I’ve loved going to the Buzz Cafe and Espresso Bar in Yaletown, Vancouver. They’ve got some great coffee and Paleo (and Vegan) desserts.

Take a look at the great selection of gluten-free and vegan desserts below (I’ve tried the Cashew Butter Pumpkin Pecan Darlings and the Schokolade Lavender Cashew Butter).

The cafe is situated in a really cute art gallery, and there are tables placed all around the paintings (some in rooms with large sofas and comfy chairs). There’s also wifi and lots of coffee and tea choices (including a lot of rooibos if you want some non-caffeinated drinks).

Vancouver is a great laid-back city, and I can’t wait to be back (maybe in the winter next time for some skiing).

I stayed with a friend in Long Island City, New York, at the end of May, and ended up eating brunch at LIC Market twice during my stay (it was just that good!).

There aren’t many Paleo restaurants in NYC, but there are many restaurants that serve paleo-ish dishes. However, of course, if you have any allergies, you have to tell the server (and perhaps call them ahead of time if you have severe allergies).

The Menu

There are quite a few egg dishes that look great, but the Slow Roasted Duck Hash with crisp potatoes, red onion, peppers, dried cherries & pine nuts with two fried eggs was my top choice.

I also got side dishes of bacon and sausages.

The restaurant has a great atmosphere with rustic tables, bar seating, and a few outdoor tables for the summer.

I fly a lot, and I know from experience that being hungry at the airport or on a flight is definitely a recipe for disaster!

Options are often limited at airports to fast food chains and premade sandwiches along with candy and potato chips. And it’s even worse on the flight itself – there’s often no food at all or else a really awful selection (my latest flight from New York to Vancouver offered a cracked pepper turkey sandwich, a chicken slider combo, and a fruit and cheese plate for sale).

So, I like to pack some Paleo snacks with me when I travel. Here are my top 10 Paleo snacks for air travel:

Top 10 Paleo Snacks For Air Travel

1. Boiled Eggs
These are just so easy and so filling (and cheap!). Take them unpeeled in a sandwich bag.

2. Dark Chocolate
There’s always the fear that you might crave some sugar what with the stress of traveling (especially for long haul flights). So, I like to carry some dark chocolate (100% chocolate is ideal, like the Tcho brand ones, but sometimes I take a bit of 80% or the Enjoy Life chocolate chips for a treat).

3. Bananas
This is another really easy no-mess paleo snack for air travel. I don’t generally eat many bananas at home because they’re easy to overeat due to their high sugar content, but they’re just too convenient for air travel.

4. Apples
I find apples, pears, and other fruits a bit messy, but they can be a nice refreshing option on a long flight.

5. Fruit and nut mix
I personally like the sprouted trail mixes if you can find them (many of the California Whole Foods carry these). Make sure you purchase a mix that doesn’t contain added sugar, canola oil, sunflower oil, or any other non-Paleo oils.

6. Epic Bars or Other Paleo Bars (e.g., Lara Bars)
These are great paleo snacks (and their packaging makes them fantastic options for traveling). However, they can be a bit hard to find and a bit expensive.

7. Jerky
This is always a great option for flights. I like Sophia’s jerky chews, but any jerky without MSG or added sugar is fantastic (however, they can be hard to find in stores).

8. Coconut oil (and ghee) in a condiment cup
You can add this to any tea or coffee you get at the airport or on the plane. It’ll act as a creamer and fill you up.

9. Coconut Butter
Coconut butter (read this article for what coconut butter is) is great to eat straight or spread on some dark chocolate. Note that I’ve had trouble taking a jar of this through security in US airports (they always think it’s liquid when it’s clearly not). I suggest packing it into several small condiment cups to avoid any TSA problems.

10. Almond Butter
Just like coconut butter, this is great for eating by itself or with dark chocolate. Artisana even makes small travel packs of almond butter, coconut butter, and some other nut butters.

Other Paleo Snacks for Air Travel

Of course, you can also cook snacks to take with you like egg muffins, Paleo cookies, cupcakes, and entire meals stored in containers. I find cooking these a bit of a hassle as well as time consuming when you’re stressed and trying to pack in a hurry, but here are some great recipes if you do have time: